Thousands of Chicagoans and people from across the Midwest defied police intimidation to gather at Michigan and Pearson at noon on Saturday and march against U.S. war and occupation abroad and attacks on civil liberties and basic rights at home. [ CIMC Video: Protesters Stop at City Hall ] The action was one of hundreds organized across the U.S and the globe that brought millions into the streets to mark the one-year anniversary of the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq.

The March 20 mobilization gathered near the site of mass arrests a year ago during emergency protests against the beginning of the Iraq war, and the dozens of local peace and justice groups who came together to organize the action rallied people around the need to connect repression and attacks on immigrants at home with the U.S. policy of empire-building and military domination abroad.

March 20 activities kicked off early Saturday morning with a march from city's far south side [ CIMC Video: 30 mile march ] through locations that included Pilsen before joining with a student and youth feeder march to converge at Michigan Ave. Only one group was armed for violence in Chicago on March 20: the hundreds of Chicago police in riot gear who surrounded protesters on all sides at Michigan and Pearson and distributed flyers declaring the protest an 'unlawful' assembly. [ CIMC Video: Jessie Jackson Confronts the Police ] The march step-off was led by ACCESS Living activists in wheelchairs, and on foot with canes and seeing eye dogs. Marchers included military moms and Viet Nam veterans, church members, anarchists, students, rank-and-file union members, and contingents from Chicago's Puerto Rican, Mexican, African American, Palestinian, Haitian and S. Asian communities. Seniors marched side by side with babies in strollers and their parents, and the Pink Bloque and the Chicago Anti-War Marching Band blended the serious spirit of the mobilization with the festive joy of solidarity in motion.

CIMC Photo Essays & Galleries: [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 ]

Additional Reports: [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Assorted Multi-Media Links ]

Images and reports from M-20 protests across the US:
New York [ photos ] San Francisco [ photos ] Los Angeles [ photos ] Milwaukee [ photos ] Stevens Point, WI [ photos ] Minneapolis/St. Paul [ photos ] Urbana/Champaign [ photos ] [ Carbondale ] Michigan ( multiple cities ) [ photos ] Pittsburg [ photos ] Portland [ photos ] Denver [ photos ] Arizona ( multiple cities ) [ photos ] New Mexico ( multiple cities } [ photos ] Crawford, Texas [ photos ] San Diego [ photos ] Arkansas ( multiple cities ) [ photos ] Seattle [ photos ]